Chapter One

The sled bumped along the icy forest paths, twisting and turning constantly. The howls and yips of the dogs ahead were muffled, and the heavy fog made it sound like they were far away instead of close enough to touch.  All though the sun was shining and it was a cloudless day, the air was still chilly and a thick layer of snow still lay on the ground.

Blitzen was awakened by the bumpy terrain, and turned over to see his brother laying next to him, sound asleep. His ash-colored fur was speckled with bits of white snow. Blitzen was about to prod him awake, but a soft tail wrapped around him and kept him from doing so.

"Blitzen, let your brother sleep," a soft voice whispered, obviously the owner of the white, fluffy tail.

Blitzen turned around to see the narrow face of a she-dog, who pretended to give him a stern look. He could still see the laughter in her eyes, though, she wasn't good at hiding it.

"I know, Laska, it's just it's so boring in this sled...." the little pup complained. "I want to be out there helping, not wrapped in blankets while the other dogs are doing the work."

"That's quite grown up of you, Blitzen," Laska answered, licking the discouraged pup's little golden  head. "I want my own pups to be as determined as you when they're born. But you'll start your training soon, summer is almost here. You may be able to race by next winter, if you try hard enough."

"I will! I will!" Blitzen barked, thumping his tail against the bottom of the sleigh.

"I guess I should just give up on sleeping, then," a new voice groaned.

"...Sorry Drachen," Blitzen said, turning around to face a very ruffled and unhappy pup glaring at him.

"I guess it's okay, they are stopping anyway," he mumbled, as the musher ordered for the dogs to stop then hopped off the sleigh. He came to release the sled dogs from their harnesses, and then gave them each a bowl of food, which was gone almost the minute he set it in front of them. He checked them for injuries, and patted each of them fondly. Finally, the musher loosely reattached the dogs the sleigh, where they started to dig and make their snow dens for the night.

After he was done tending to the team, he busily set up a tent, which he led the pups and Laska into. The tent was lit with lanterns, and held a small cot and two blankets for the dogs. He fed himself and the dogs, and soon deep rumbling snores filled the small tent.

The three dogs watched this ritual in awe, all though it happened every night.

Drachen broke the silence, shaking his head. "Why to they have to be so organized?"

Laska laughed in her soft way, then curled up on her blanket to sleep. Drachen followed her, and his breathing became steady almost instantly. He was the opposite of Laska, scrappy, ashy fur standing out against her thick, creamy white coat.

Blitzen, though, still full of excitement from today's journey, laid on his blanket and watched the lantern light dance off of the tent's fabric walls. As he was drifting off, he thought he heard a soft howl whistling through the trees.

He didn't give it much thought, though, because sleep overcame him soon after that.


Author's Note:
Yay! First chapter done. I hope you liked it. I will start of switch off the point of views of the brothers :D